Data from Entries Fields

The Data from Entries field provides you with the tools to create dynamic drop-downs, checkboxes, and radio buttons. In addition, this field allows you to link multiple forms.

Data from Entries provides a powerful method for generating options in a field. This field can link entries together and allow users to make selections from data entered into other forms. Review the examples below to learn how to use this field.

Example 1: Dynamically Display Product Info

In this example, Data from Entries will be used to dynamically display a product image when the user selects a product from a dropdown.

1. Create a new form titled “Product Info” with the following fields:
   • Product Name: Single Line Text field
   • Product Image: File Upload field
2. Create a second form titled “View a Product” with the following fields: (this is the form your user will see)
   • Select Product: Data from Entries field with these settings:
     - Import Data from: Product Info – Product Name
     - Display as: Dropdown

   

   • Display Image: Data from Entries field with these settings:
     - Import Data from: Product Info – Product Image
     - Display as: Just show it
     - Use Conditional Logic to show this field if “Select Product is equal to Anything”.

   

3. Add entries to form 1 (Product Info).
4. Try it out! Insert form 2 (View a Product) in a page. When you select a product from the “Select Product” dropdown, its associated image should appear.

Example 2: Create a State/City Dependent Dropdown

In this example, Data from Entries fields will be used to create dropdowns which will only show cities from the State selected in a previous dropdown. There will be a total of three forms required to make this work.

1. Create a new form titled “All States” with the following field:
   • State: Dropdown
     - Select “Bulk Edit Field Choices” and click on U.S. States or U.S. State Abbreviations from the list that appears.
2. Create a second form titled “City/State” with the following fields:
   • Select State: Data from Entries field with these settings:
     - Import Data from: All States(form 1) – State
     - Display as: Dropdown
   • City: Single Line Text field
3. Create a third form titled “Select a City/State” with the following fields: (This is the form your users will see)
   • Name: Single Line Text field. You may add any other fields you would like as well.
   • Select State: Data from Entries field with these settings:
     - Import Data from: All States(form 1) – State
     - Display as: Dropdown
   • Select City: Data from Entries field with these settings:
     - Import Data from: City/State(form 2) – City
     - Display as: Dropdown
     - Use Conditional Logic to show this field if “Select State is equal to Anything”.
4. Add entries to form 1 (All States). You may want to add each state once so you have all fifty states in form 3 (Select a City/State).
5. Add entries to form 2 (City/State).
6. View or preview form 3 (Select a City/State). When you select a state, the “Select a City” dropdown should appear. Its options should only include cities you have added to the corresponding state.

Summary
In the first form we created a field which was used to populate the States field in the second form. In the second form we created a city field, which was linked with the State field by using a Data from Entries field. In the final form we included both fields as a data from entry field, in which we associated States and cities and used conditional logic to determine how to show the associated data. Using the “Anything” portion of conditional logic allows Formidable to intelligently communicate the associated states and cities defined in forms one and two.

Note: There is an Add-on available that will create forms for Countries, U.S. States, U.S. counties, and U.S. cities and populate them. Click here to download the “Formidable Locations” Add-on.

Example 3: Register for a course

In this example, Data from Entries fields will be used to create a course registration form. When the user selects a course, the course description will appear and a dropdown populated by dates for the selected course will be displayed. Three forms are required to make this work, but your user will only see and interact with one.

1. Create a new form titled “Add a Course” with the following fields:
   • Course Title: Single Line Text field
   • Course Description: Paragraph Text field
2. Create a second form titled “Events” with the following fields:
   • Select Course: Data from Entries field with these settings:
     - Import Data from: Add a Course(form 1) – Course Title
     - Display as: Dropdown
   • Event Date: Date field
3. Create a third form titled “Registration” with the following fields: (This is the form your users will see)
   • Select Course: Data from Entries field with the same settings as the “Select Course” field in form 2
   • Display Course Description: Data from Entries field with these settings:
     - Import Data from: Add a Course(form 1) – Course Description
     - Display Data as: Just show it
     - Use Conditional Logic to show this field if: “Select Course is equal to Anything”
     This field will display the corresponding course description when a course is selected.
   • Select Event Date: Data from Entries field with these settings:
     - Import Data from: Events(form 2) – Event Date
     - Display Data as: Dropdown
     - Use Conditional Logic to show this field if: “Select Course is equal to Anything”
     This field will watch the courses field and populate the corresponding list of dates when a course is selected.
4. Add a few entries to form 1 and 2 (Add a Course and Events).
5. View or preview form 3 (Registration) to see Data from Entries in action. When you select a course from the “Select Course” dropdown, the correct course description should appear followed by the “Select Event Date” dropdown. Its options should only include dates for the selected course.

Summary
In the first form, you may add courses which the user will select from in form 3. Using the second form, you may add all available dates for each course. The date is linked with the course title by using a Data from Entries field. In the final form, the user can select a course, which will cause the associated course description to appear. A dropdown will also appear which allows the user to select which date they would like to take the course. This dropdown is only populated with dates for the selected course. Conditional logic is necessary to determine when to display the associated course description and date dropdown.

To learn how to populate a Data from Entries field with post categories, see how to add hierarchal categories.

If you need a little more help with Data from Entries, click the link below to watch a video on using these fields to create a set of dynamic Country, State, and City dropdowns.